Google Pixel 10 Pro review: my new Android top pick

The Google Pixel 10 Pro is not the most exciting phone of the year, but it’s the one I keep picking up. For $999, it gets the everyday right: hardware small and light enough to feel manageable, terrific screens you can trust, cameras you won’t regret (if that describes your personality), magnets that make charging and using accessories less painful, cooler performance thanks in part to Tensor G5 and software that still feels a little ahead of the curve. It’s not a gaming beast but as an all-rounder it’s the Android phone I’m most drawn to in 2025.

Design, display and magnets that make a difference

The shape, not much altered, is a good thing. It’s genuinely pocketable despite the 6.3-inch size, and has clicky buttons, a matte back that shrugs off smudges and an attractive frame that looks premium without being garish. It’s an infrequent flagship that is comfortable to use with one hand.

The LTPO OLED is a standout: 1,280 x 2,856 resolution, a butter-smooth 120Hz refresh rate and even higher peak brightness at an estimated 3,300 nits. And outdoor it slices through glare more effectively than last year’s panel, its colors (even with Google’s tuning) never boosting themselves up to neon.

Then there are the magnets. That it has the same Qi2 alignment as all the Pixel 10 series, which was approved by the Wireless Power Consortium and means that it snaps to magnetic chargers, wallets, and stands with iPhone-level precision. I’ve been using it with MagSafe banks and docks all week, and the convenience will immediately spoil you.

Tensor G5: cool, capable and not a trophy chaser

Tensor G5 Moves Over to TSMC’s 3nm, and You Feel it in Thermals. On 5G-, maps- and photo-packed travel days, the phone kept its wits about it in a way earlier Tensor phones didn’t. Benchmarks will still lag behind Snapdragon 8 Elite flagships, but UI fluidity, camera processing and on-device AI remains just super speedy. Call of Duty: Mobile runs great at high settings without the chassis turning into a hand warmer — progress I’ve been waiting for.

Battery and charging: a single day, no more

The 4,870mAh cell isn’t going to last two days but it is a dependable one for a full day.

Mixed use (5G, social, photos, messaging) left me with teens remaining most days after a long day; heavier travel days nudged it to single digits by the late evening. Wired charging maxes out at 30W, though a peak-to-full charge still took around 90 minutes in my testing — lagging slightly behind the industry leaders such as the fastest-charging OnePlus phones and Samsung’s top-flight flagship. Magnetic charging is a help, but the tale of wired speed needs not a nudge but a leap.

Cameras: reliable, versatile and surprisingly fun

Hardware mirrors will include a 50MP main (1/1.31-inch, f/1.7), 48MP ultrawide (f/1.7, 123°) and 48MP 5x telephoto (f/2.8), and a selfie camera as big omnibus resolution at 42 MP with autofocus.

The real update is zoom. Google’s Pro Res Zoom now goes to 100x, and crucially it genuinely upgrades 30–50x images by rebuilding detail and subduing background noise. It also stores both the original and the enhanced version, a nice touch for transparency’s sake.

What stands out is consistency. Its main camera also locks in focus fast and delivers natural, true to scene colors. Ultrawide photos generally match the main camera’s color profile, and there is minor edge distortion. The 5x and 10x presets can produce sharper results that are better than many competitors at those ranges. I’m not even chasing the 100x moon shots, but reliable reach to 10x — and usable results above that — changes what you can capture on the go.

Software paves way, budding AI follows

Launching with Android 16 QPR1, alongside Material 3 Expressive, the Pixel 10 Pro feels shiny in every sense of the word. Everything from the animations to the haptics and revamped Quick Settings feel connected. Return of the long time Pixel highlights — including Now Playing, Direct My Call, Pixel Screenshots and smart call features are all still best-in-class.

And new tricks are hit and miss. Screen Saver turns the phone into a mini smart display on a dock, and it’s genuinely useful. Which is why Take a Message, which surfaces at least transcripts, and makes all missed-call triage will have its place in my routine. Magic Cue and Daily Hub, though, don’t quite provide the contextual magic their pitch claims to. Recommendations may be off-target or incomplete; they’re going to get better, but at this point they feel beta-grade.

Connectivity, longevity and the eSIM shift

In the U.S., it’s eSIM-only. This is an obstacle if you rely on physical SIM swaps. In reality, activation is fast even with large carriers and acceleration in the adoption of eSIM has been witnessed by GSMA across North America and Europe. Still, travelers who want to depend on the local SIM card will need to do some advance planning with eSIM providers.

Google’s seven-year guarantee for OS, security, and feature drops is one of the most solid in mobile, even ahead of many competitors when it comes to longevity. That alone makes the Pixel 10 Pro an attractive long-term buy if you don’t upgrade too much.

Verdict: the flagship for most people

The Pixel 10 Pro isn’t trying to win every spec race, and that’s exactly why it’s so great. You’re getting a compact, premium build; a bright, accurate display; cooler performance that’s also more consistent; a camera system that’s versatile and reliable; magnets that quietly make everyday convenience better and software you put your trust in (along with the seven years of updates behind it).

If you’re after chart-topping benchmarks or the absolute fastest wired charging, Samsung’s most expensive flagship and the fastest-charging OnePlus phone still have an edge. If you’re price-sensitive, the regular Pixel 10 delivers most of the experience for less. But for the largest swath of Android users, the Pixel 10 Pro presents the most balanced, delightful package this year — and is the phone I’d buy myself.